Australia v England - 2nd Ashes Test

RVclaret · Post by **RVclaret** » Sat Dec 18, 2021 11:44 am

tiger76 wrote: ↑
Sat Dec 18, 2021 11:33 am
45-1 at close, the lead is a mere 282, and another difficult day for England as early promise quickly dissipated.

Australia to bat until tea tomorrow, and England to be all out by lunch on day 5.

Changes surely have to be made as this bunch simply aren't up to the task, the worry is are the reserves any better.

Not really. Foakes better keeper but just the same with the bat, though worth a go. Bairstow has had a million chances, Crawley is woefully out of nick. Lawrence probably deserves another go for Pope. Then it’s a case of who else is there at County level?

Newcastleclaret93 · Post by **Newcastleclaret93** » Sat Dec 18, 2021 11:47 am

BigChaCha wrote: ↑
Sat Dec 18, 2021 10:35 am
Utter nonsense and the last English batsman you should be having a go at! He's ranked number one in the world, playing mainly in a country, in England, where it is an absolute nightmare to get runs and has been carrying England over the last year at least, as well as trying to captain a shower of shite! It is amazing that his average is as good as it is, in a team where he is constantly putting out fires and his average would be even better if he played in a half-decent team... Imagine what his average would be if he played for Australia or India with the solid platform they would give him!

Playing in a better team does not affect your batting average.

As Pietersen said, cricket is only a team sport when your fielding. When your batting it is a solo game.

tiger76 · Post by **tiger76** » Sat Dec 18, 2021 11:53 am

RVclaret wrote: ↑
Sat Dec 18, 2021 11:44 am
Not really. Foakes better keeper but just the same with the bat, though worth a go. Bairstow has had a million chances, Crawley is woefully out of nick. Lawrence probably deserves another go for Pope. Then it’s a case of who else is there at County level?

Foakes and Lawrence are probably the 2 with the strongest claims, but something different has to be tried, as the current XI are beaten before they even go on the field, in the longer term some of the county lads might get a shot, but there's no obvious contenders that I'm aware of.

However for me the squad needs freshening up and we may as well try a few youngsters with no previous baggage, as if only 1 or 2 come off it'll still be an improvement on the stale old guard.

TheFamilyCat · Post by **TheFamilyCat** » Sat Dec 18, 2021 12:04 pm

Newcastleclaret93 wrote: ↑
Sat Dec 18, 2021 11:47 am
Playing in a better team does not affect your batting average.

As Pietersen said, cricket is only a team sport when your fielding. When your batting it is a solo game.

Nonsense. And Pietersen spouting about 'team' is laughable.

How a player bats is hugely influenced by the match situation and the performance of other batters contributes massively to that.

Newcastleclaret93 · Post by **Newcastleclaret93** » Sat Dec 18, 2021 12:12 pm

TheFamilyCat wrote: ↑
Sat Dec 18, 2021 12:04 pm
Nonsense. And Pietersen spouting about 'team' is laughable.

How a player bats is hugely influenced by the match situation and the performance of other batters contributes massively to that.

Your making out like he’s playing for Bangladesh. He’s playing for the 4th best test team in world cricket.

TheFamilyCat · Post by **TheFamilyCat** » Sat Dec 18, 2021 12:19 pm

Newcastleclaret93 wrote: ↑
Sat Dec 18, 2021 12:12 pm
Your making out like he’s playing for Bangladesh. He’s playing for the 4th best test team in world cricket.

I don't care where we're ranked. Root has scored around 1100 more runs than the second highest run scorer this year. He's surrounded by a second rate bunch, bar Stokes who's barely played this year and possibly Malan.

diamondpocket · Post by **diamondpocket** » Sat Dec 18, 2021 1:06 pm

Absolute shower of a management team and the decisions made have been awful. Most of the responsibility should be with Silverwood and Root for making these selections and starting these teams. Go and listen to Nas & Athers for the reasons.
Everything has been pre-planned but with hardly any attention on what they had in front of them and no warm up games due to the weather. One of Anderson or Broad should have played the 1st game, if not both, to get some overs into them for this test. No Wood here on a pacy pitch and no Leach, look at today's play for spin, and Adelaide has always been like this with spinners coming into the game at the latest from Day 4. Going with Stokes as well who hasnt played cricket for ages going to the pressures of Australia's heat and hard pitches, crazy giving him the responsibility of being a main bowler. They all looked shagged already and they've only played 1 and a half tests!

FCBurnley · Post by **FCBurnley** » Sat Dec 18, 2021 2:11 pm

Clarets fans are rightly upset at traveling to Villa and not seeing a game. Can’t imagine how the England traveling fans must feel !!

TheFamilyCat · Post by **TheFamilyCat** » Sat Dec 18, 2021 2:47 pm

Newcastleclaret93 wrote: ↑
Sat Dec 18, 2021 9:48 am
Fair comment, he doesn’t get in mine.

Mine would be:

Strauss
Cook
Trott
Pietersen
Bell
Stokes
Flintoff
Prior
Swann
Broad
Anderson

As there's no football to discuss....

I don't think my choice would be too much different from that, other than Root, who would be my first choice middle-order batsman. The decision would be who to leave out. I'd probably go for Trott purely because his career was cut short and we don't know what he may or may not have achieved.

There would also be an argument for Vaughan, but again injury (plus the dip in form after being made captain) counts against him.

I wouldn't normally have two all-rounders and could consider leaving one out for another specialist bowler but as Flintoff was good enough to be 3rd seamer (when the all-rounder is normally the fourth), both him and Stokes can be accommodated.

TheFamilyCat · Post by **TheFamilyCat** » Sat Dec 18, 2021 2:50 pm

FCBurnley wrote: ↑
Sat Dec 18, 2021 2:11 pm
Clarets fans are rightly upset at traveling to Villa and not seeing a game. Can’t imagine how the England traveling fans must feel !!

In 2006/07 we just enjoyed the holiday as the interest in the cricketed waned. I'd advise any England fans out there to do the same (or as much as covid restrictions will allow).

diamondpocket · Post by **diamondpocket** » Sat Dec 18, 2021 3:10 pm

at least the ones who have travelled are seeing some sport!

kentonclaret · Post by **kentonclaret** » Sat Dec 18, 2021 4:48 pm

The number of England fans that travel out to see all (or part) of an Ashes Series is normally somewhere between 30k to 40k but this year I read that the number is closer to zero. The England fans enjoying the cricket are those that already live and work in Australia and not sports tourists I am led to believe.

jrgbfc · Post by **jrgbfc** » Sat Dec 18, 2021 4:52 pm

The mess goes right to the top unfortunately. The ECB need to decide if they care about Test cricket, because at present the whole summer schedule is a complete mess and does nothing to help the Test side.

RammyClaret61 · Post by **RammyClaret61** » Sun Dec 19, 2021 4:13 am

Good start. Let’s keep it up. 2wickets first 3 overs.

Then Buttler drops Smith first ball.

RammyClaret61 · Post by **RammyClaret61** » Sun Dec 19, 2021 4:54 am

55-4 smith gone, caught Buttler.

ecc · Post by **ecc** » Sun Dec 19, 2021 7:32 am

185-7. Lead: 425.

That must be one of the highest 4th innings required to win a Test (mustn't it?).

TheFamilyCat · Post by **TheFamilyCat** » Sun Dec 19, 2021 7:42 am

Can't work out why the Aussies are still batting. Trying to fatigue our bowlers, perhaps.

I'd have thought the would want to try to win in as little time as possible.

ecc · Post by **ecc** » Sun Dec 19, 2021 7:44 am

"Australia's score is now such that England would have to break the world record for the highest fourth-innings chase to win this match. "

Source:BBC

TheFamilyCat · Post by **TheFamilyCat** » Sun Dec 19, 2021 8:08 am

ecc wrote: ↑
Sun Dec 19, 2021 7:44 am
"Australia's score is now such that England would have to break the world record for the highest fourth-innings chase to win this match. "

Source:BBC

Records are there to be broken...

Herts Clarets · Post by **Herts Clarets** » Sun Dec 19, 2021 8:12 am

Hameed out without troubling the scorers. 4-1

TheFamilyCat · Post by **TheFamilyCat** » Sun Dec 19, 2021 8:13 am

"Like taking wheat from blind chucks" according to the ABC commentator.

Longsidelenny1882 · Post by **Longsidelenny1882** » Sun Dec 19, 2021 8:24 am

We can still win this upthecolne

TheFamilyCat · Post by **TheFamilyCat** » Sun Dec 19, 2021 8:25 am

Hat'll be going round if Burns can reach double figures.

RammyClaret61 · Post by **RammyClaret61** » Sun Dec 19, 2021 8:33 am

this one do?

ecc · Post by **ecc** » Sun Dec 19, 2021 8:36 am

Not much to be said really.

Milltown1882 · Post by **Milltown1882** » Sun Dec 19, 2021 11:21 am

That hit on Root did not look good!

SalisburyClaret · Post by **SalisburyClaret** » Sun Dec 19, 2021 11:33 am

Root out - that concludes our interest in the Ashes for now

ClaretTony · Post by **ClaretTony** » Sun Dec 19, 2021 11:39 am

I got up this morning and completely forgot about the cricket. I think I'm the lucky one.

Milltown1882 · Post by **Milltown1882** » Sun Dec 19, 2021 11:40 am

Hard to see past us being all out by lunch tomorrow. Look resigned to another 5-0 at this rate.

Time to get a few of the Lions back on a plane out there.

RammyClaret61 · Post by **RammyClaret61** » Sun Dec 19, 2021 11:44 am

Time for bed said Zebedee.

Bordeauxclaret · Post by **Bordeauxclaret** » Sun Dec 19, 2021 11:52 am

All hopes rest on Covid to avoid the whitewash.

RVclaret · Post by **RVclaret** » Sun Dec 19, 2021 11:56 am

Just rubbish. Get the series cancelled and plane home already

Culmclaret · Post by **Culmclaret** » Sun Dec 19, 2021 12:11 pm

As I have said previously this series is as one sided as England Women v Latvia Women

SydneyClaret · Post by **SydneyClaret** » Sun Dec 19, 2021 12:46 pm

At least we’ve made it to day 5 and won’t be beaten by an innings. Progress. In reality though watching the Aussies bowl, they always look like they will get a wicket. Watching England ball makes the Aussies look like they are the best batsmen in the world.

Ashingtonclaret46 · Post by **Ashingtonclaret46** » Sun Dec 19, 2021 1:01 pm

When you read that only 6% of the balls we bowled in the first innings would have hit the stumps you do have to wonder about our tactics, particularly as the Aussies scored 473!
That equates to just 55 balls out of 904 bowled!

Milltown1882 · Post by **Milltown1882** » Sun Dec 19, 2021 1:44 pm

Why did Root not take a night watchman when he was hit and come back tomorrow?

Quickenthetempo · Post by **Quickenthetempo** » Sun Dec 19, 2021 3:15 pm

Milltown1882 wrote: ↑
Sun Dec 19, 2021 1:44 pm
Why did Root not take a night watchman when he was hit and come back tomorrow?

You can only think he didn't want to show weakness.

But it would have taken another 2 minutes changing batsman, so another over less. As well as Root being there the next day.

You need a captain making the right decisions and he got that and his decision to play at the ball he got out to horribly wrong.

But tours down under can scramble your brain.

tiger76 · Post by **tiger76** » Sun Dec 19, 2021 3:19 pm

Just a matter of time on day 5 until the Aussies wrap up another comprehensive victory, and the wicket of Root has just made it all the more likely this will be over by lunch, or not long after.

How on earth can Buttler hold the worldies, yet he drops the simple catches?

thedoge · Post by **thedoge** » Mon Dec 20, 2021 8:26 am

Still batting,34overs remain.

RammyClaret61 · Post by **RammyClaret61** » Mon Dec 20, 2021 8:32 am

Absolutely loving the panic setting in with the Aussie commentators.

Herts Clarets · Post by **Herts Clarets** » Mon Dec 20, 2021 8:38 am

Robinson out. 178-8. The fat lady is going through her vocal warm up exercises......

Milltown1882 · Post by **Milltown1882** » Mon Dec 20, 2021 8:43 am

This is very Old Trafford 2019, well dug in but defeat in the final session.

Surely Pope has had his last chance for quite some time.

RammyClaret61 · Post by **RammyClaret61** » Mon Dec 20, 2021 8:45 am

Would you change the openers?

Milltown1882 · Post by **Milltown1882** » Mon Dec 20, 2021 8:54 am

Outstanding review from Broad. A sentence I never thought I’d say.

SydneyClaret · Post by **SydneyClaret** » Mon Dec 20, 2021 9:21 am

Will probably still lose but my oh my are the Aussies wishing they’d forced the follow on right now.

Buxtonclaret · Post by **Buxtonclaret** » Mon Dec 20, 2021 9:27 am

Over rate is pretty good for a Test match today.

tiger76 · Post by **tiger76** » Mon Dec 20, 2021 9:29 am

England at least showing some fight now, sadly it's probably too late.

Buttler gone hit wicket, sums up England's tour does that.

Herts Clarets · Post by **Herts Clarets** » Mon Dec 20, 2021 9:29 am

Buttler gone. 182-9

CharlieinNewMexico · Post by **CharlieinNewMexico** » Mon Dec 20, 2021 9:30 am

kentonclaret wrote: ↑
Sat Dec 18, 2021 4:48 pm
The number of England fans that travel out to see all (or part) of an Ashes Series is normally somewhere between 30k to 40k but this year I read that the number is closer to zero. The England fans enjoying the cricket are those that already live and work in Australia and not sports tourists I am led to believe.

Covid rules.
Oz very tight on overseas incomers right now.

Milltown1882 · Post by **Milltown1882** » Mon Dec 20, 2021 9:30 am

So unlucky for Buttler, great innings to take it this far.